As I’m sure you are all aware there has been a large scale ransomware attack across the world so please ensure all your employees are aware of the danger. Please see our current advice below and further important information at the bottom of this email.

Our advice currently is to ensure that all computers within your business are 100% up to date with the latest Microsoft updates. Some of your systems will be up to date and some of them will not so the best measure to take to ensure that everything is up to date is to get everyone to run the Windows update system on their computers and install any updates that are listed. To do this please see the instructions below depending on whether you have Windows 7 or Windows 8 or Windows 10 as this is slightly different. Please follow the instructions and if you have any questions or any issues installing these updates please contact us.
Below is the best way to check for, and install, Windows updates based on the version of Windows installed on your computer.

Check For and Install Updates in Windows 10
In Windows 10, Windows Update is found within Settings.
First, tap or click on the Start menu, followed by Settings. Once there, choose Update & security, followed by Windows Update on the left.
Check for new Windows 10 updates by tapping or clicking on the Check for updates button.
In Windows 10, downloading and installing updates is automatic and will happen immediately after checking or, with some updates, at a time when you’re not using your computer.

Check For and Install Updates in Windows 8, 7 and Vista
In Windows 8, Windows 7, and Windows Vista, the best way to access Windows Update is via the Control Panel.
In these versions of Windows, Windows Update is included as an applet in Control Panel, complete with configuration options, update history, and lots more.
Just open Control Panel and then choose Windows Update.
Tap or click Check for updates to check for new, uninstalled updates. Installation sometimes happens automatically or may need to be done by you via the Install updates button, depending on what version of Windows you’re using and how you have Windows Update configured.

ADVICE

Please ensure all employees are aware that they should take extra precautions and be extra vigilant whilst reading their emails.
NEVER open an email attachment that you are unsure of, if in doubt, don’t open it. Take a moment to re-read and examine the email. Ask someone else to look at the email or contact the sender to confirm if the email is fake or not.

The next MOST important point to make is to ensure all employees know that if they open an email and anything unusual happens REPORT it immediately. If you get a warning message or something odd open, shutdown your computer. Speed is one of the most important factors to stopping a Ransomware virus, they can destroy 10,000’s files in a matter of minutes.

Please ensure you have an anti-virus program installed and that it is up to date.

Please ensure you have a reliable daily backup solution in place.